No Nay Never Colt Stars in Selective Market

Into its second year under a new format, the Goffs November Foal Sale got off to a lukewarm start on Monday. The opening few lots suggested we could be in for a vibrant day of business but trade soon became patchy throughout the session with the clearance rate being the principal casualty. 145 or 59% of foals offered changing hands paints a picture of a highly selective buying bench and that scenario naturally contributed to a reduced aggregate of €2,685,000, down significantly on last year's figure of just over €4 million. Both the average and median also dipped a few points on last year to €18,517 (-13%) and €15,000 (-9%), respectively, however there were positives to take from proceedings. The top price paid on the corresponding day last year was €85,000 for a son of No Nay Never and it was the same Coolmore stallion, off the back of a fantastic first season with his progeny on the track, that provided Monday's top-priced foal which sold for €125,000.

Offered by Kilmore Stud on behalf of breeder Audrey F. Thompson as lot 157, the April-born colt is out of Celestial Dream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who has a perfect breeding record to date being the dam of five winners from five runners.

Bidding on the colt was frenetic and it soon boiled down to what appeared to be a match between Ciaran 'Flash' Conroy and Tony O'Callaghan. The foal seemed destined for Tally-Ho Stud when Conroy shook his head after O'Callaghan bid €120,000 only for Brendan Morrin of Pier House Stud to play his hand late with a bid of €125,000. That was enough to see the hammer fall in favour of Morrin and the grandson of Lochangel (GB) (Night Shift) may well be back in this ring next autumn.

“We thought he was the standout colt here today, the stallion has made a fantastic start and this foal has a lot going for him,” said Brendan Morrin, who was accompanied by his brother Ger. “He will be offered for sale as a yearling, probably back here at the Orby Sale.”

Tally-Ho stud had earlier made the first of no doubt multiple purchases this week when snapping up lot 73, a filly by Footstepsinthesand (GB) offered by Hill House for €62,000. The filly's appeal was bolstered by the exploits this year of her 2-year-old half-brother Inverleigh (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}). The Ger Lyons-trained colt backed up an impressive debut success at Leopardstown in August with two solid stakes placings and he remains a smart prospect for next year.

The O'Callaghans later added a Kodiac (GB) filly, lot 182 to their squad for €58,000. The bay was offered by Milltown House Stud out of the ex-Godolphin mare Escapism (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), whose first yearling, a full-brother to this filly, made 80,000gns at Tattersalls last month.

Rathbarry Stud have certainly gotten behind their young stallion Kodi Bear (Ire) and the farm's Paul Cashman won the battle for the first colt offered in the sale by the first-crop stallion son of Kodiac (GB). Cashman was pushed to €66,000 to secure lot 130 from Awbeg Stud after which he indicated he would hopefully be back for resale next year.

“He is very like his father, a real active type with a great step and a lovely temperament,” Cashman said. “We will aim to offer him as a yearling, perhaps back here next September. He came from a very good farm in Awbeg Stud and he is just a real good sort of foal with a lot of presence.”

Another first-crop stallion to make a decent start was Bucklands Farm & Stud resident Pearl Secret (GB) whose first offering, lot 227, was knocked down to Tally-Ho for €40,000 while a filly (lot 180) from the first crop of Darley's The Last Lion (Ire) sold to Luke Barry of Manister House Stud for the same price. Elsewhere foals by Cheveley Park Stud's Twilight Son (GB) and Whitsbury Manor Stud's Adaay (Ire) were also well received with their early produce into the ring making €33,000 (lot 215) and €31,000 (lot 127), respectively.

Ballylinch Stud have transferred Lawman (Fr) to stand at Haras de Grandcamp alongside his former stallion colleague Dream Ahead and it was a Lawman filly offered by Ballylinch Stud as lot 46 that made the early running in the sale. The March-born foal is the first produce out of Royal Razalma (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) who won the G3 Dubai Cornwallis S. when trained by Jonathan Portman and it was Eddie O'Leary's Lynn Lodge Stud who signed the docket at €40,000.

O'Leary added a Fast Company (Ire) colt to his haul not long after when buying lot 66 for €36,000. It wasn't a huge surprise O'Leary purchased the Oghill House Stud-consigned son of Shama's Song (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), as Lynn Lodge Stud had sold her yearling colt by Night Of Thunder (Ire) for €105,000 at the Orby Sale here last month having pinhooked him for €40,000 in the same ring 11 months previously.

Harry Sweeney of the Japan-based Paca Paca Farm made the trip back over to his native Ireland worthwhile when securing a pair of foals including a Zoffany (Ire) colt, lot 161, from Moorpark Stud that cost €50,000. A filly by Starspangledbanner (Aus) caught the eye of Grove Stud's Brendan Holland as lot 115. The filly eventually went Holland's way after a successful bid of €42,000 and the filly was offered by Collegelands out of Zain Art (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}), who is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner Battalion (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}).

The €50,000 mark was also reached later in the session when a son of Teofilo (Ire) from Glacken View (lot 241) was purchased by Stroud Coleman. Ten lots from the end, Joe Foley went to €55,000 to secure lot 266, a daughter of his stallion Dandy Man (Ire) consigned by Galbertstown Stud.

Action resumes at 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday when trade is expected to crank up a notch.